Living in Peru : your everyday companion

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

Peru's mobile phone penetration rate (the number of active mobile phone numbers within a specific population) will increase 27.3 percent, estimated Nokia Peru on Thursday.

According to company representatives, the penetration rate could reach 70 percent by the end of the year.

Teobaldo Palacios, the general manager of Nokia Peru said Lima has the highest quantity of cellular phone owners in the country. He explained that Lima's mobile phone penetration rate was at 90 percent.

"If conditions remain stable, it is possible that by 2010 or 2011 Peru's penetration rate could reach Chile's, which is at 90 percent.

If this were to happen, Lima's penetration rate would be over 100 percent, meaning that there would be two or more cellular phone numbers for each person in the province.

When asked about the popularity of pre and postpaid plans, Nokia's general manager assured that prepaid calling plans for cellular phones were sold much more in the Andean country.

He did not, however, rule out that postpaid phones could be more popular in the future.